New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-09
is MR.. VANDERBILTS ALVA A FAILUREf

COMPLAINTS OF sEAMEN ON BOARD OF HER-HER
OWNER SAID TO DE DISAPPOINTED.
Scarcely was the Alva moored in the North River
after her trip to Havana before yachting men began
to shake their heads solemnly and whisper that she
was total failure These rumors were revived yester-
day by dispatch from Wilmington in which an oiler
named George w. Johns makes series OF complaints
about his treatment on board and declares that the
yacht rolled badly and shipped every sea that came
along -. ma. .
The Alva was lying at her wharf at Sixty ffth-st..
> North River. yesterday morning, and below decks
there was much hustle rs II thsy were within few
bours OF weighiBL anchor. There was a s:gnboard,
No admittance," at the head OF the gangplank and
none OF the officers could be seen Captain Morrison
had gone downtown, where he briefly stated that
Johns story entirely untrue In every detail Two
of the sailors of the yacht were more communicative
They said shat 1t was perfectly correct tn eleven OF
their number had quit work. and one OF them said that
he should follow their example in few days; 90
Are you all going because the mosstabe IL poor
= Well YES and no. he food good--what there
was of IT. he said but it this way. You sc,
thew got a stew ard from England. aud he fed us ac
cordlng to a list he had, wbch list. he claimed, was
according to the rules English boats One OF cur
hands was England for some years, aud one day he
told the steward we were not having things accord
ing to the English list at all Then he admitted, pr1-
yatel, that be laid down his coat by the forecastie
one day and the regulation list disappeared out OF bis
pocket, aud he lad made another iioIn memory. The
of the matter Is, we don Ike faIohs "esheu Out
q Does Johns speak the truth about the boat"
It's q urStty good boat johns olhcr people
sav a good deal about that which is not true They
say she leaks. Well she don't leak, and never has
leaked -,
What are all those mechanics doing''
"OyerhauIing her generally and making repairS
They are taxing lot Of things out that are no good
and never ought TO have been put in. Our trip TO
Havana was not ut all bad. Everything worked iarly
well. Going down there We had hne weather all the
way" 80
"And yet only made ten knots an hour
@weI she as never properly put to it," intcrposed
the second seaman
I'VE might have made" continued the first blue
Jacket, a. much IA twelve and a bali believe We
did once or twice. Coming back we had iair weather,
too. until we reached Port au Prince. at Port Royal
Mrs Vanderbilt LETT us and came home to York
by rail She did account of the children and her
maid. Tie maid terribly seasick. OF course
there is no doubt the boat does roll more than she
ought TO- With the least rough water she rolls
badly"
" What ia her drsughti'
Itis seventeen ieet inches when in proper trim.
but she generally draws that when we are moving
we'll"
W. r. Vanderbilt left town early yesterday morning
and will until TO-DAY. Several OF his yacht
ing frieods sceD. and Of them admitted con
hdentially that Mr. Vanderbilt disappointed with
the vessel, but he would not go into PARTICULARS